Longer Than a Lifetime
by keepingthepeace
Summary: Mid-New Moon. Edward comes back ad desperately finds Bella and discovers what happened to her while he was gone. He also meets the Pack... T for language. One-shot


_**AN: This is a dream I had a little while ago after I went to bed thinking about the Twilight Series. It is what I guess my subconscious thought what would have happened if Bella had waited for Jake before jumping off the cliff in New Moon. Alice would never have come, Edward would have never gone to Italy, and Bella would still be with Jake. I figured that after another month or so, Edward wouldn't be able to stand being away from Bella and he had decided that he would go to "check on" her. In my mind, Edward started tracking her scent towards the reservation. The werewolves patrolling that night, Sam, Jake, and Paul, caught the scent of a vampire and started to track it. When Edward draws nearer, he smells the werewolves too, but is thinking only of Bella and doesn't register the danger he is in. Edward meets the pack a few yards from the boundary line and the scene begins.**_

_**Note: I don't know why the rest of the pack didn't come to stop the vampire. I guess you can just make up your own excuse.**_

_**Note: I know character reactions and the ending would be totally different if this actually happened in the book, but it's just a fantasy. I haven't been inside the head of the characters as Stephanie Meyer has, so some things just wouldn't happen. I also realioze this is a very bad story, but to bad. I thought I would just post it here anyway. My actual dream was much more vague then this, but I can pretend, can't I?**_

* * *

He had finally found her. Edward was closing in on Bella.

"Just to see if shes happy," he told himself, though he knew it was a lie. Edward wanted to see her again, not just at a distance, but to hold her, kiss her, show her how much he loved her. Though he had been thinking of a plan on the way there, Edward had forgotten everything the moment he caught her scent, the second he could here her heartbeat miles away, though he knew that was just a mental illusion.

_Oh no_, Edward thought as he finally realized where Bella was. The Quileute Reservation was off limits and, though he knew he may start a war, he began contemplating the risk of crossing the line. No one would notice if he was on the land just long enough to see her, would they? As he thought, he drew nearer and nearer to the border.

* * *

The pack was closing in. Soon they would be on top of the soulless bloodsucker who dared to come near them.

'Jake! Go around the opposite way. We're not letting this one get away.' commanded Sam, feeling ready or a fight. He knew it would be easy. There were three of them and only one of the ugly leeches.

As Jake broke away and drew closer to the vampire, he began to feel pure hatred, for he recognized that bloodsucker's stench. It was the same odor that used to cover Bella.

'He actually has the nerve to come back here after all the damage hes caused. Not just what he has done to us, but what he and his little "family" have done to Bella. Guys, leave. This one is mine. _I_ am going to kill this bastard once and for all.'

Sam, hearing Jake's thoughts, ordered Paul to go. After a few protests, Paul left, thinking what he thought of this situation loud and clear.

'Your not taking him alone,' Sam said. 'Hes not getting away with what he has done. Let's just hope he is gutsy enough to cross the line.'

Edward, Sam, and Jake were all only yards from the line when the forest's trees broke and they could see each other. Edward looked worse for wear, seemingly having gone through the same mental devastation that Bella had gone through, but Jake quickly pushed the thought from his mind. If he had know a fraction of what Bella had gone through, he would have known better than to come back.

Edward caught sight of the two humongous werewolves and began to slow. He thought about what it would take to bring them down, but he decided to see if they knew anything about Bella first.

He first heard their thoughts and his heart began to sink. They kept thinking about what he had done to her. Was she really as miserable without him as he was without her?

"No," Edward spoke aloud, "She couldn't have been like that. She couldn't have been so... lifeless."

'What is he...? Oh.' Jake realized that the myth of vampires having "special powers" was true. That bloodsucker was reading his thoughts. Sam seemed to agree with him.

'Well you evil leech, do you want to see what you really did to her? Do you want to see how we found her, just laying there on the ground?" Sam called up the mental image he was so careful to repress when Jake had phased. He saw Bella laying on the ground, covered in dirt and leaves with a hollowness in her eyes that had taken Jake months of careful planing to start to make it go away. She had looked like a nothingness had washed over her and that she was about to fade into the forest around her, haunting the souls who walked through with the image of lost love. 'Step over here now. You almost killed her. Now we're going to kill you.'

Edward took a step back in disbelief.

"No," he said again. He tried repeating the mantra in his head, but the image would not fade. He knew she wouldn't be happy to see him leave, but he never thought she would be like this. He knew then and there that what he had done was the worst thing he ever had done, and probably the worst thing he would ever do in his eternal existence. Edward dropped to his knees, losing all of his strength and, if he were able to, would have cried until it was physically impossible not to. Instead, he hung his head and let the grief wash over him. He knew he deserved ever bit of agony he got because of what he had done to her.

Jake saw this and decided to make Edward feel even worse. He would have felt sorry to see any creature in pain like this in any other situation, but he was too full of rage over Bella to feel anything else.

'I made her happy again. Happier than you could ever make her, you soulless pile of shit. Now come step over this border so I can rip you apart like the piece of meat you are!' Jake growled. He knew that Bella still wasn't as happy with him as she was with Edward, but he really didn't care if he lied right now.

Edward knew Jake was thinking something, but he didn't register it. All he could think about was what he had done. After seeing her like that, he knew that Bella would never want to see him again. He would just make sure of that, then he would let the wolves take him.

There was a distant cry in the woods.

* * *

It was early in the morning, only two or three o'clock, when Bella heard someone open the front door. She had been at Jake's house all day and Charlie told her that she could spend the night. It was her first night away from home since... she couldn't think the name without bursting in hysterics. It was nice to spend all of her time with Jake, her little sun. He said he had to patrol tonight, but he would be back before she woke up. Bella wasn't worried. She knew Jake would be smiling at her when she awoke from a peaceful dream. She had hoped that was him now. She wanted him to get some sleep since he was off patrolling every other night. When she looked up, it wasn't a smiling Jake she saw, but a very ticked off Paul. Yawning, Bella asked, "Where's Jake?"

Paul debated for moment. _Should I tell her? She has a right to know. And that would show _

_them for sending me away_, he thought dubiously. _Nay. I'll just lie. There's no need for her to get upset._

"He wanted to go and check on something before he came back."

"What?"

"Just something." Paul said. He was never a very good liar.

Bella began to look angry at his vagueness, and he hated that. He knew it was just the werewolf rage in his body, but he had repressed enough for one night.

"He found that bloodsucker ex of yours. He went to kill him for what he has done!" Paul yelled, trying to keep his anger in check. There was no need to maul the girl for now.

Bella laid there in confusion for a moment until the words finally hit her. _He found that bloodsucker ex of yours._ _Edward. No. No, no, no. He couldn't have come back. He couldn't be talking about Edward._ But how many vampire boyfriends had she had? It had to be him, but she couldn't believe it. She didn't want to set herself up for more disappointment and heartache.

"Wh-What?"

Paul could tell by the look on her face that he had said the wrong thing. There was no way to undo this now. They were all going to kill him.

"The fucking leech is back and Jake and Sam went to kill him." Paul knew he might as well tell the truth since he wasn't going to live much longer.

Bella jumped up. She wasn't thinking anymore; she was running on a tank full of pure adrenaline. Edward had come back for her. He didn't hate her. He didn't leave her alone in this world to just pass through existence and die. She knew it was irrational and she knew she had no idea where she was going, but she had to find him. She had to see him, hold him, kiss him, show him how much she loved him. She ran out the door as Paul screamed after her.

Paul gave up all hopes of control now. He phased into the beast inside of him and ran the opposite way of Bella, wishing he could hurt her for going back to the heartless mass who had left her, but he knew he couldn't. He ran into the night without looking back. At least now he could see how all of this would end through Jake and Sam's eyes.

As Bella stumbled through the forest, she began screaming out Edward's name. She couldn't let him go again. She didn't know what would happen to her if he left again. She knew the border where the Quileute land ended was half a mile away, but she didn't know which direction was up, let alone where Edward was. She didn't know how, but Bella knew Edward hadn't crossed the line. She knew he was still alive. She cried out again hoping something or someone would give her a sign. Though she didn't now what she would do once she saw him, Bella knew she had to find him. He was her life and if he was completely lost, dead, she couldn't live either.

* * *

Sam heard the heartbreaking cry somewhere behind him, about half a mile away. He knew only one person would scream "Edward!" with such intensity, such passion. Paul's voice entered his mind.

"Sorry," was all he said before completely ending his own thoughts. He was always the best at keeping things out of the pack collective.

'Bring her home. Now.' ordered Jake, still full of loathing for the leech in front of him. Edward began to look up at the sound of his name. He looked like his soul had been shattered into a thousand little pieces and he had lost all hope of picking them up again. Jake had no time for sympathy for this soulless beast. Bella cried out again. Jake was reborn in fury that she would still want to see the being that caused her so much agony. 'You don't deserve to live.' he spat at Edward.

"I know. If she doesn't want to see me, please, kill me. Make it very slow and painful. It's the least I deserve. If she does want to see me, though, you will not stop her, or I will have to stop you. She will have whatever she wants from me, then I will go with pleasure. But she will get exactly what she wants." Edward stated. Jake could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't lying. He also knew that Edward would gladly cross the treaty line if he could see Bella wanted to see him through Sam and the pack mind.

Sam's voice spoke, 'We will not have a vampire on our lands. We are here to protect our people only. I hate this as much as you do, but she will want to come. She wants it more than anything.' Jake was now full of hatred at Sam, but he knew a direct order from the pack leader had to be followed. Through Sam's eyes, he saw Bella pleading with him. Begging and fighting with all the strength she could muster against the paws that held her. 'I'll bring her.' said Sam before his voice left Jake's head. It was now just silent Paul, Jake and Edward.

"Thank you." sighed Edward. Even if Bella just wanted to hit him, hurt him, and possibly kill him, he would be glad to have anything happen to him if he could see her face one more time.

Jake ran off. He couldn't take the pain and anger anymore. All he could do was run. Sam would watch Bella and Edward and tell him if he needed to kill anyone, but Jake knew he didn't. He knew Bella loved Edward with all of her heart, and that hurt him more than anything. Even after everything that had happened, she still loved that heart breaker more than him, and he couldn't stand it. He ran off as far as he could go before turning around at sunrise to go home. He wanted to leave with all of his might, but he knew he couldn't do that to Billy. He had to go back, but he would never speak to any of them again. And Paul was right, he was going to kill him.

* * *

Sam carried Bella to the clearing next to the boundary. He sighed and dropped her before phasing back. He would be ready to stop anything at a seconds notice.

Bella looked up. She couldn't believe it. It was Edward. Perfect, beautiful, love-of-her-life Edward. He looked horrible, like he had died a thousand deaths and was preparing himself for another. She needed to go and console him, but she couldn't move. She was to stunned. Then, Bella looked at her favorite feature of the boy she loved. His eyes. His once golden eyes were now onyx, though she knew it was from pain, not hunger. That pushed her over the edge. She jumped up and ran to him, weeping hysterically. Everything that had ever happened between them seemed to vanish as she flung herself at him. After a moment's hesitation, Edward squeezed her back.

This couldn't be right. Here he was holding the woman of his dreams in his arms as she sobbed into his shirt. Edward held on tighter. He wasn't about to let her go again. If he could have it his way, they would never part again, but it was Bella who broke away first. He wouldn't have let her if he knew he had almost cost her her life and she deserved everything she could ever want.

When Bella broke away from the loving embrace, she looked into Edward's eyes. She could still see the pain and torture in his eyes, in his soul, but she could see a little of the golden happiness returning to him. She knew she should be angry, she knew she should want to hurt him as much as he hurt her, but she couldn't, wouldn't. She loved him more than anything, more than life itself, and she wasn't about to let him go. She kissed him. The kiss was full of so much unexpected passion and intensity, it felt like she was trying to make up for all of the missed kisses in their months apart. Edward returned the blessed kiss with the same fire. He knew then and there that he belong completely to her. Everyday, every night, every year until forever, he was hers.

It was Bella who broke away first, purely for oxygen. Edward began to speak, but she put a finger over his mouth and through glistening eyes said, "There is all eternity for that later." They kissed again with a renewed passion.

* * *

Sam looked away. He new they were going to be together and he didn't want Jake to have to see it. Though he was angrier than ever before at Bella for forgiving Edward so easily, for forgiving him at all, he eased himself back into a state of calmness. Before phasing back into a human, he told Paul to phase back too. He knew what would happen. They didn't need to be here for this torture.

* * *

After another long kiss of eternal love, Edward scooped Bella up into his arms and started running towards the Cullen's house. They could fabricate a story for Charlie later, but right now they needed to be alone and discuss somethings. With a quick kiss, they were off to a lifetime, longer than a lifetime, together.


End file.
